Moderate beer consumption improves cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women

The study found that moderate beer intake improved lipid profile in these women, although their effects on cardiometabolic alterations prevention demand further research.

Women worldwide usually find that menopausal symptoms harm their quality of life. The results show that moderate beer consumption (14 g of ethanol a day) significantly reduces several menopause-related symptoms and should therefore improve the quality of life in postmenopausal women. These improvements were observed after alcoholic and nonalcoholic beer consumption; they can be attributed to beer's nonalcoholic fraction, possibly to polyphenols' phytoestrogen effect.

Juan J. Moreno, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues aimed to assess the long-term effect of a moderate daily beer intake (with and without alcohol) on cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women in a two-year non-randomized parallel controlled clinical pilot trial.

The study included 34 participants, categorized into three study arms: 12 were in the control group, six consumed nonalcoholic beer, and 16 were administered alcoholic beer. The researchers monitored changes in lipid profile, glucose metabolism, anthropometric measurements, liver enzymes, blood pressure variables, and body composition. Data on medical history, exercise and diet were collected, and gustatory capacities were determined.

The study revealed the following findings:

• Moderate beer consumption, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, seemed to affect biochemical indicators of cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women positively.
• 660 mL/day of nonalcoholic beer reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol blood levels, and 330 mL/day of alcoholic beer increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
• The evolution of android and gynoid fat percentage changes, and their ratio differed significantly between study groups. This was attributable to the interventions or the disparity between groups regarding the time elapsed since menopause onset.
• Iso-α-acids recognition threshold could be involved in intervention group election, whereas sensory phenotypes studied were not associated with alcohol drinking frequency.

To conclude, a daily moderate alcoholic beer (AB) and nonalcoholic beer (NAB) may be an alternative approach for women seeking relief from mild to moderate climacteric symptoms. Moreover, NAB was found to have a beneficial effect on diastolic blood pressure, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and LLD cholesterol, all known cardiovascular disease risk factors.

"However, these results must be considered preliminary and will require confirmation with larger sample sizes," the researchers wrote.

According to the team, the study has unveiled the clinical implications of daily moderate AB and NAB consumption. Still, there is no information on the mechanisms of action and impacts on sex hormones.

"The most effective quantity of beer, with or without alcohol, that can be safely consumed by a postmenopausal woman still needs to be determined, taking into consideration factors such as genetics, age, and ethnicity," they concluded.